Clouds thwart a clear view of ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse in Lincoln on Saturday

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A cloudy day in Lincoln covered a clear view of a rare solar eclipse on Saturday.

But those hoping to catch a glimpse of a rare ring of fire eclipse were able to watch the moon almost fully cover the sun on a NASA live stream.

Lincoln was expected to see around 60 percent of the partial eclipse.

The Hyde Memorial Observatory was planning on using its telescopes to show the eclipse to visitors, but instead, attendees watched the live stream, which showed the eclipse from areas that were under the direct path for the ring of fire.

Lee Thomas, a supervisor at the observatory, described what makes the eclipse so interesting.

“It’s the opposite of the supermoon when the moon is closest to earth,” Thomas said. “In this case, it’s farthest in its orbit from earth, and it doesn’t quite cover the sun, it leaves a ring of fire around it.”

Albuquerque New Mexico was one of those places under the center line of the eclipse, and viewers at the Hyde Memorial Observatory were able to see it streamed in full effect.

Visitors were also able to learn more about astronomy and how the telescopes worked today from observatory staff.

The next ring of fire eclipse isn’t expected to be visible in the United States mainland until 2046, but a full solar eclipse is expected next year.